Bakersfield homeowners will be allowed to freely water their lawns and gardens whenever they want to after the city’s water board opted to shelf a voluntary alternating day plan.

City councilman and board chairman Harold Hanson says the decision was made during a Wednesday meeting.

“We feel, after further research and talking with the people at Cal Water, that a community effort to educate folks on the use of water would be the better way to go,” Hanson said.

Hanson says the city will now launch educational campaigns – focused both on children and adults – on conservation, and will direct residents toward state grants and programs for more water-efficient fixtures and devices.

But he also says the state may intervene.

“California may come down and put all kinds of restrictions in place, and, if they do, we’re not going to have any alternatives, and we’ll just have to tighten our belts,” Hanson said.

The board asked city staff to prepare an odd-even plan for review last month.

– Anthony Pollreisz